The small town of Punakaiki features the famous Pancake Rocks and Blowholes, along the highway from Nelson to Greymouth. Luckily, our Intercity bus stopped there during the journey, just long enough to visit the park and hop back on the bus. The wheel-chair accessible park features heavily...

Our first stop on the south island of New Zealand was the city of Nelson, where Michi and I intended to go for some extensive hikes. The Abel Tasman National Park features several scenic walks. Named after an explorer in the 17th century, the trails draw heaps of tourists to this area. We set...

New Zealand is the first country during my journey, where I fully ignored the name of the Capital city. Thanks to Michi and the Lonely Planet I am now in the know: It’s Wellington. This gem of a city boasts having a stunning harbour and being surrounded by hills. Truly, it feels a bit...

The town of Rotorua was Michi and my first stop on our way to the South Island. We’re travelling using a flexible bus pass from the nationwide “Intercity” bus. This gives us plenty of options to hop on and off the bus. Other travellers would rent either cars or vans to visit...

My visit to New Zealand started in Auckland, which is located on the North Island. Almost all people who I met before arriving here – New Zealanders (affectionately called “Kiwi’s”) and backpackers alike – warned me about this city being an ugly hole and not...